Sport for all, human rights for all

Most events attract attention in a ‘sportive way’: who will win the title? Sometimes events attract negative attention and become a battlefield for campaigners, activists and politicians to highlight human rights concerns and human rights violations. In some occasions there is a call to boycott the event, or to (symbolic forms of) protest, like showing the rainbow flag as a symbol of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT pride) in reaction to ‘anti-gay propaganda’ legislation in Russia during the Olympic Games in Sochi.

In recent years fundamental questions have been raised about the responsibility for human rights in bidding for and during sport events. Sports governing bodies experience more and more demands to set standards in rules, regulations, contracts and other instruments. The international community watches and acts like an independent supervisory body. In the end the question is who is responsible for what and what can be – effectively – done to safeguard human rights.

This article addresses some of the humanitarian challenges on sport events in greater length and gives an overview of the legal perspective (human rights and public and private rules and regulations) and of sport events and human rights violations. I will conclude the article with a short conclusion and some recommendations.